Project User Research Profile

Kopete is an instant messenger supporting AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, Jabber, IRC, Gadu-Gadu, Novell GroupWise Messenger, and more. It is designed to be a flexible and extensible multi-protocol system suitable for personal and enterprise use.

Who is the application for?

Instant messaging hardcore users

Time independent: They're online, always.

Location independent: At home, at work, with different protocols / accounts

Five friends: Start the IM client, arrange dinner with some friends, quit it for the day

Myspacers: Animated smileys and custom chat styles to rule them all

Who is the application not for

"Managers" and people looking for an "all-in-one" communication solution that automatically imports contacts/history from other applications (outlook, skype, ...) and synchronizes different devices (mobile phone, laptop, pda, ...)

Sample User Profiles

User Profile 1: For each group of users identified (or primary groups, or particularly special groups if many groups are defined), write a description of that user's characteristics based on a real user you know.

What kinds of tasks will they complete

List of common tasks users will complete

This does not have to be a complete functional specification, but major tasks and specialty tasks should be listed

Include functionality that is planned but not yet implemented to help keep the future in focus

(What kinds of functionality will the application not support)

List tasks or functionality the application will not address

Sometimes it is useful to list this unintended functionality to help keep the scope of the application

For example, a certain functionality may not be implemented because it is out of scope with the primary goals of the project, another application with a different focus does it better, or it is an extreme edge case for a user type which is not primary

Sample Use Scenarios and Cases

Use Scenario 1: For each task identified (or major tasks, or particularly special tasks if many tasks are defined), write a description of how that user would accomplish the task independent of how they would complete it within the application.

Use Case 1: If a use scenario has been implemented, include a matching use case which describes how the task use scenario can be completed in the application. There may be branching or multiple ways to complete the task, and this is a good way to document it.

Environment Conditions & Requirements

List of environmental conditions for the user or the application to consider

For example, an Internet-capable application would require an Internet connection